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Lorenzo (CTD)
Duke Lorenzo is an Unseelie Sidhe Wilder of House Balor, though he often claims to be of House Eiluned, in the Kingdom of Ulster in Hibernia. Overview Lorenzo was exiled from Arcadia for crimes he doesn't quite remember, but which have given him a poor reputation among sidhe with high Remembrance. He doesn't really care, even if he remembers a life of honor long ago. He earned King Finn's favor during the Resurgence and volunteered to go on Glamour gathering missions for the king, supposedly marking particularly talented mortals for later Musing. In actuality, he is a practiced Ravager and brought back more and more tainted Dross for the king. Pleased with his protege's success, Finn made Lorenzo his champion, though he kept this a secret. Eventually Lorenzo tired of even pretending to bring back Glamour from creative sources, and turned stripping the Glamour from the dark pleasure of the Troubles. Slimy and slick, he and his cadre of Unseelie Ravagers, named the Vikings (for the raiders who once terrorized Ireland) encouraged hatred among the people of Belfast, and even had old men beaten to death just for the pain-wracked Glamour it brought them. Unknown to Finn (or anyone else in his realm), Lorenzo is actually working for Doireannara, field commander of the Unseelie army of the Shadow Court of Hibernia. She had him insinuate himself into Finn's good graces in order to remove the threat that Finn posed as King of Ulster. When Finn realized that he had to silence the dukes or be discovered as Unseelie, he sent Lorenzo to each in turn. Lorenzo persuaded most of them to accept the treasures Finn offered them (called "gifts of friendship"), and talked them around to Finn's way of thinking. The one noble he couldn't convince was Duke Kestry of Belfast. Enraged at his failure, Lorenzo focused all his attention on Ravaging Belfast. Finally, Kestry called him out in a duel. Though Lorenzo had meant to cheat, the Vikings were unexpectedly detained, and Kestry won the battle. Finn banished them both for dueling, but he secretly promised Lorenzo the Duchy of Belfast when he returned. He has been back a few months now and has taken charge of Kestry's old home and ducal treasures. He revels in his newfound power. As duke, Lorenzo has been surprisingly subtle in his manipulations. Rather than engaging in all-out Ravaging, he has used the cease-fire to encourage tourism. He searches for all the secret freeholds in Belfast (and nearby) that belong to those who might oppose him. These he intends to open up as tourist attractions (where possible) and take the Glamour from the balefires within as his own. He awaits the next meeting with Kestry, hoping to catch him at an unguarded moment and put an end to his rival. Lorenzo has not been popular as duke; he hopes a public defeat and humiliation of Kestry will establish him as a ruler to be feared, especially when he shows that he's not afraid to actually kill another changeling. Unknown to Lorenzo, he was sent from Arcadia to prepare for a takeover by House Balor. To that end, he has been geased to work in their behalf and to bring down the Seelie courts of Hibernia. Because he is working under a geas, even he sometimes doesn't know why he does what he does. Occasionally the geas conflicts with orders from Doireannara and he just shuts down for a little while until the conflict goes away. Since the two sides have at least some goals in common, this is not often a problem. Image Lorenzo is tall and painfully thin, more like a sluagh than a sidhe. In his mortal seeming he has lank black hair that he wears tied back in a long ponytail. He favors dark clothing that accentuates his lean build, though of fine, expensive materials. In his fae mien, his hair has more body, almost a life of its own. His eyes are a piercing grey and look as though they would suck the life out of whatever he turns his gaze on. As a member of House Balor, he has a deformity. His is physical and is represented by his extremely gaunt frame and hungry-seeming eyes. He is always hungry... for food, excitement, treasure, Glamour, pain, pleasure, or praise. He can never get enough and he always hungers for more, even when he has just been sated. Personal They claim Lorenzo committed some dark crime in Arcadia. Who cares? That was long ago and far away. This is here and now, and he means to savor every second of it. The idiots don't have a clue what's really possible, or what's really going on. He's found a never-ending source of Glamour. Screw the fools who spend a year slowly preparing some whiny mortal to create a painting or story. Hate is eternal; bitterness never ends. It's easy to find what he needs, feed on it, and use it to promote the creation of even more tasty pains and fears. He knew the Shadow Court would bring him power and he was right. They're all his now, the hapless people of Belfast, and he will use them any way he wants. Treasures Lorenzo has taken possession of the ducal treasures of Belfast (the signet, pennons, and hearthstone) and of Kestry's longsword, a silver and bronze weapon of ancient beauty named Tine Chreasa (flashing fire) that can shine with the light of sun or moon and blind opponents in battle. He has yet to actually claim the sword, fearing that some enchantment attuning the blade to Kestry will harm him if he does. Chimera Lorenzo has a very powerful chimera known as the Smoke Dragon. Large and sinuous, this fearsome creature made of mist and smoke has keen black eyes that search out prey as it flies far overhead. The chimera originally drew its power from the bombs and explosions of the Troubles and is thus quite powerful. It can be utterly silent, hiding among clouds, or terrifyingly loud, flapping its wings with a sound like crashing thunder. Because of its snakelike shape and insubstantial form, the Smoke Dragon can twist itself into impossible angles and enter the smallest of space, stretching itself out into a thin line of smoke to do so if necessary. Oddly enough, it is quite beautiful, with each scale perfectly formed in white, silver, misty blue, grey, and cream colors. In sunlight, the scales take on a brilliant golden hue; at sunset, it reflects yellow, orange, red, and pink, just like clouds on the horizon. Lorenzo uses it as a spy, sending it to mingle with clouds outside or the haze of cigarette smoke up near the ceiling of pubs. His favorite uses for the chimera include loosing it to herd changelings in his direction when he wants them rounded up, and as an airborne attacker. The chimera cannot be seen except by changelings and those who have been enchanted. Although Lorenzo originally "inherited" it as it formed itself, because he has worked on the chimera so long to perfect it, if the Smoke Dragon is killed, Lorenzo can recall it and reform it at its original strength within 24 hours. References # CTD. Immortal Eyes: Court of All Kings, pp. 95-96. Category:Unseelie (CTD) Category:Sidhe (CTD) Category:Wilders (CTD) Category:House Balor (CTD) Category:Shadow Court (CTD)